The Portland daily press., 1887-05-06
Forgery as a Political Weapon.

The discussion going on in the British
Parliament over the letter published in the
London Times over the forged signature of
Mr.. Parnell detains public attention on
specimen of political inaneuvreing baser
than anything ever attempted. even fin what
the English term the degraded politics of
America. Similar forgeries have been re-
sorted to. American politics furnish a re-
cent and remarkable instance, the Morey
letter, by which in 1880 the Democrats en-
deayored TO fasten upon Garfield the author
ship Of letter favoring Chinese immigra-
ton, which he had never written. The Ma
tional Democratic committee were willing to
avail themselves of this forgery, and even SO
respectable Democrat as Abram S. Hewitt
was 10th to admit that 1t was forgery. But
the paper in which the forged letter was
published, the New York Truth, was an OBJ
scure sheet which soon after ceased to exist
for want of support. No reputable Demo-
cratic paper in New York would give the in
dorsement of its influence to the forgery.
1t is in this respect that the English forgery
is so remarkable. The letter was published
In the London Times. Probably no paper
on tho face of the earth has better repu-
tation for furnishing to its readers reliable
news. Taking advantage of no press asso-
Citations, it collects its own news, and
once having collected it shares it with no
other paper The means by which this news
is collected is most expensive In all the
capitals OF Europe the Times has special
correspondents who are supported as great
governments support their ambassadors.
For tba l,oa ~ IT, H.
Times has recently built house, that he
may there exercise hospitality that will
put him on plane with the highest person.
ages. In Africa in Asia and in America the
Times employs only the best talent. That
such paper should open its columns to
forged letter shows the straits to which the
ancient aristocracy of England has come in
these days when the common people of Eng
land have joined to rescue from oppression
the common people of Island. There are
two ways of dealing with Ireland, Glad
stones and Salisbury's. The former means
undoubtedly the ultimate subversion of the
influence Of the landed aristocracy of Ire
land, perhaps Of England, too. The latter
mean the perpetuation of that influence in
the future as it has been perpetuated in the
past,-by force and oppression. On the
passage of the coercion bill the aristocracy
have staked great deal Should it fail
their situation would be in a sense desper-
ate. So it was natural, when the better
sense Of the English people showed signs of
revolving at the harshness of the bill, for the
Tory managers to seek to offset it by holding
the Irish up to contempt and condem-
nation. Nothing could bring this about
more effectually than by fastening up
on Parnell an expression of sympa-
thy with the fendish murderers of
Lord Cavendish and Under-Secretary Burke
whose inhuman crime 50 aroused English
public opinion that Mr.. Gladstone found it
easy to pass the last coercion bill. For the
purpose no newspaper could have been bet
ter than the London Times, famous for the
correctness of its news, with character of
independence and sympathy that has never
yet failed the cause Of aristocracy, whether
it has supported Southern STAKEHOLDER or
Irish landlord. 1t is in keeping with the
whole plot that the leaders of the arstocrat-
ic party in the House of Commons should
turn she cold shoulder to any effort at dis
ciplining the Times by Parliament in this
case as in the assault on Dillon, and refer
the Irish leaders to the civil courts of Eng
land, where, before the lrish-hating jury he
would fnd, in the language of the old prov
erb, that he had "sued a beggar and caught
a louse